Army 'pressured by US to toughen up interrogation techniques'

Last updated at 17:23 13 December 2006

An army brigadier in charge of intelligence gathering in Basra said today that British forces were put under pressure by the US to step up interrogation techniques because their current methods were failing to produce results.

Brigadier Euan Duncan, director of the Intelligence Corps, also said that he believed "hooding" of detainees was an acceptable practice despite receiving legal advice stating it could be against the Geneva Convention.

He made the comments at the court martial at Bulford, Wilts, of seven Queen's Lancashire Regiment soldiers who face charges including the manslaughter of 26-year-old hotel receptionist Baha Musa in September 2003.

Brig Duncan said that American commanders had criticised the British forces for failing to extract as much intelligence from detainees.

He added that the implication was that "firmer" interrogation techniques should be used and there was a "growing diversion" of opinion between the two forces on what practices were suitable.

He said: "The US had the view that we weren't getting as much information out of prisoners we held as we should, in their opinion."

But Brig Duncan said that he had not advocated the stepping up of interrogations and that his view was they should be wound up if "there was no value in them".

He added that he believed the use of "hooding" - the placing of hessian sacks over a prisoner's head while being held - was acceptable.

He said they were necessary to protect the prisoner from being identified as a potential informer by fellow detainees while being held in group cells.

He said the use of hoods was at the "milder end of the spectrum" of conditioning techniques available and being used by the US forces in Iraq.

He said these included the use of placing detainees in stress positions which caused "discomfort if not pain" as well as sleep deprivation, no chairs or beds in cells and no contact with the outside world.

But Brig Duncan said that he believed the use of these conditioning techniques was not acceptable.

The prosecution alleges that such techniques were used against a group of Iraqi civilians and suspected insurgents arrested at a Basra hotel on September 14, 2003.

During a 36-hour period, it is claimed they were kept hooded, cuffed, deprived of sleep and beaten for failing to maintain stress positions - all pre-interrogation "conditioning" techniques the prosecution says are banned under international law.

Brigadier Robert Aitken, who was commissioned to prepare a report on alleged abuse by UK forces in Iraq for the MoD, told the hearing that he believed under-preparation had led to confusion over what interrogation practices were appropriate.

He said that there was a lack of detailed doctrine on how to handle prisoners of war.

When asked by Timothy Langdale QC, representing Colonel Jorge Mendonca, if he agreed with the statement: "Some of the conditions which exacerbated acts of abuse could have been avoided if there had been thorough joined-up planning for after the fighting finished", he replied: "Yes."

All but one of the seven QLR soldiers on trial at Bulford deny all of the charges they face.

Cpl Donald Payne, 35, formerly of the QLR, which is now the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, became Britain's first war criminal when he admitted the charge of treating Iraqi detainees inhumanely.

Payne denies two further charges - the manslaughter of Baha Musa and perverting the course of justice.

His six co-defendants all deny the matters facing them.

Lance Cpl Wayne Crowcroft, 22, of the QLR, denies a charge of inhumane treatment, as does Pte Darren Fallon, 23, of the same regiment.

Sgt Kelvin Stacey, 29, of the QLR, denies assault occasioning actual bodily harm with an alternative count of common assault.

Major Michael Peebles, 35, and Warrant Officer Mark Davies, 37, both of the Intelligence Corps, each deny a charge of negligently performing a duty, that of failing to ensure the Iraqi detainees were not mistreated.

Colonel Jorge Mendonca MBE, 42, former commander of the QLR, also denies negligently performing a duty.